New coach Scott Loudon has high hopes for West Branch boys basketball
BELOIT — One of the greatest basketball players in West Branch history has returned home and is guiding a Warriors team that should be in the thick of the race for the Eastern Buckeye Conference boys basketball title this winter.
Scott Loudon, who had a tremendous prep career in football, basketball and baseball at West Branch in the 1990s and was inducted into the inaugural class of the West Branch Hall of Fame in 1997, was named Warriors coach late last spring.
“I’m looking forward to it and I think the kids are looking forward to it,” said Loudon. “They know they should perform well and, hopefully, we do.”
Loudon replaces Michael Brown, who led the Warriors to EBC titles in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Brown accepted the job as coach of the Hudson boys basketball team in the offseason.
Loudon takes over a West Branch program that has enjoyed six consecutive winning seasons and has posted a record of 102-42 during that time.
Loudon is getting used to wearing many hats as a head coach.
“It’s challenging,” said Loudon, who was a longtime former assistant at both West Branch and later Minerva. “It’s different when you’re the head coach, because a lot of stuff starts and ends with you.”
The Warriors returns numerous talented players off last season's 14-10 team.
The nine-member varsity includes senior guards Jaxon Robb and Riley Hendershott, junior forward Cooper Anderson, junior point guard Joey Jackson, junior guard Camden Lane, sophomore forward Gavin Gregory, sophomore guard Jeremiah Thomas, sophomore forward Zachary Coffee and sophomore guard Kasen Weaver.
Battling for spots in the varsity rotation are junior forward Gaven Dycus, junior forward Evan Hancock, junior guard Zackary Pinkerton, junior guard Walker Poorbaugh, junior forward Kayden Porter, sophomore guard Chase Gee, sophomore forward Koltin Stryffeler and sophomore guard Caden West.
“We have some really nice young kids,” said Loudon. “There are only two seniors on the roster and a lot of juniors and sophomores that are going to play a lot of minutes for us, so that’s a good problem to have. We also have some freshmen that I think are going to be able to help us in the coming years.”
The Warriors are guard-dominated, and Loudon said he wants to utilize the talent and quickness there.
“That (using his many talented athletes to run) is the game plan,” he said.
Loudon also loves having a big man like the 6-foot-7 Gregory, who played a lot last season as a freshman, in the paint.
“Here, we don’t see too many 6-7 guys,” said Loudon of Gregory.
The West Branch coach predicts another highly competitive EBC title chase, saying Alliance is the favorite.
“Every year somebody asks me that question, and I say Alliance has probably got to be the favorite, right?” Loudon said. “(JR) Jackson is good and they have some nice players around him. And Carrollton won it (with Alliance) last year and they lost a lot, of course. When it’s six teams you don’t sit here and say, hey, there’s one that’s going to win it. You could probably pick any of four teams, and you might even be wrong then.”
Loudon said his goal for the Warriors is to advance in the postseason.
“I want to play in the district tournament,” he said. “We have not done that much and we’ve had some teams that have been capable, but for whatever reason haven’t quite made it. That’s really my goal.”
Serving on Loudon’s coaching staff are varsity assistant Daniel Laut, volunteer assistant Mike Falasca, junior varsity coach Brad Smith and freshman coach John Hancock.
2023-2024 SCHEDULE
Dec. 1 Beaver Local
Dec. 5 at South Range
Dec. 8 at Minerva
Dec. 15 Marlington
Dec. 21 Youngstown Liberty
Dec. 22 at Fairless
Dec. 27 Academy for Urban Scholars
Dec. 30 Canfield
Jan. 2 at Akron Garfield
Jan. 5 Alliance
Jan. 9 Carrollton
Jan. 12 at Salem
Jan. 16 Columbiana
Jan. 19 Minerva
Jan. 23 at Marlington
Jan. 26 at Alliance
Feb. 2 at Carrollton
Feb. 6 Youngstown East
Feb. 9 Salem
Feb. 16 at Girard
Feb. 20 at Boardman
Feb. 23 Heartland Christian
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: New coach Scott Loudon looks to continue winning ways at West Branch
